Relics of Humanity
by AnimeAddiction0-0
Summary: Glory to mankind, these words were engraved into the minds of every YoRHa android. They represented the sole purpose of their existence, and drove every member of the YoRHa troops to fight to the bitter end. For that very reason, A2 resented humans. So, when the vengeful android finds herself staring at a living specimen of the accursed race, all that's left is to exact revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Relics of Humanity**

Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey guys. It's nice seeing you again. Sorry that it's not another update on my Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) story. I'm not gonna make excuses for myself this time. My inability to make long term commitments has made me drop three stories so far, all of which I initially planned to turn into long term projects. So, I'm just going to try the opposite approach this time. This isn't going to be a long story. Probably three to four chapters, maybe five if I win the lottery, but nothing like those 100k+ stories you find in Harry Potter and Naruto archives. I highly recommend finishing the game before reading this story, because there will be spoilers littered here and there. In general, I haven't really decided if I'm going to partially stick with the original story or make it into an AU altogether, but just keep in mind that A2 is going to be our main character. 2B is lovely and has a personality that I simply adore, but A2 is my girl. Okay now that we got all that out of the way, let's get started.

* * *

Dappled sunlight cascaded through the thick canopy of the Forest Kingdom, dotting the moist overgrowth with patches of brilliant gold. A2, with long strands of silver hair sticking uncomfortably against her synthetic skin, concealed herself in the shadow of a towering tree. The air was moist and stifling, essentially trapping heat within the confines of her body, making each breath she emitted a wave of heated air. It was moments such as these that made A2 curse the design of her model, which made her excel in terms of combat related fields such as reaction time, maximum output and durability, but at the same time leaving her other functions average at best. She had seen the newer models, equipped with cutting edge technology and capable of adapting to some of the harshest environments the devastated planet had to offer. After permanently dismantling a few of her pursuers, she managed to salvage the few components that were compatible with her circuits and integrated them into her system as best she could.

She inched forward in the shadow, visually scanning her surroundings for any hostile lifeforms as she quietly made her way toward to bridge that was the only route across the gaping ravine zigzagging through the Kingdom. Without her combat support unit, or pod, as they were usually called, she had no way of knowing the locations of the machines or other enemies alike. Thus, she had no choice but to be constantly on guard and prepare for the unlikely event that some sneaky machine bypassed her senses and decided to go for the kill.

The Forest Kingdom, a gathering of machine lifeforms that disconnected from the network was simply teeming with trigger-happy 'soldiers' that killed intruders on sight, whether they are androids or fellow machines. With the recent uptick of machine activities in nearby areas, A2 decided to scout out the region to see if the 'King' that these robots kept ranting about had anything to do with the phenomenon.

The answer was no. The 'King' was nothing but a defective machine that could do nothing but sit idly in its cradle. Still, she decided to destroy it.

There were two other androids at the scene, one was a Battle model, the other a Scanner. The Bunker, after numerous failed attempts at detaining A2, had simply given up on retrieving the rogue android. As far as A2 could tell, Command had ceased to issue mission specifically targeting her, and informed other YoRHa units to either flee or kill on sight.

Escaping the duo took her a bit of time. The Battle unit was unusually skilled with the sword, capable of fending off A2's strikes in close quarters combat. But what really made the fight a hassle was the Scanner. Fast-paced close range combat was one thing, fast paced close range combat while fending off a hacking attempt was another. Still, the two of them had a long way to go before they could even think about defeating her.

It turns out that news of the King's death traveled faster than she could run. On her way out, she was met with group after group of enraged machines out for her blood. Alone, they were no match for the deadly swordswoman, but together, their sheer numbers were more than sufficient to overwhelm a squad of YoRHa androids. Halfway across the kingdom, A2 now opted to sneak her way past the rest of the guards. If possible, she could wait for the duo she encountered earlier to draw the attention of the rest of the machines, allowing her to slip past the defenses easily.

Alas, things never quite went as planned.

" _Revenge for the King! Androids must die! Kill! Kill! Ki..."_

Nimbly rolling out the way as a buzzing chainsaw sliced through the air, the android cursed her misfortune before drawing her sword and bringing it down mercilessly on the annoying piece of junk. The small robot, futilely attempting to parry the lightning-fast strike, disintegrated in a shower of rusty bolts and broken cables as A2's weapon cut its core cleanly in half.

" _Kill! Kill!..."_ However, the deceased machine was far from alone on its suicidal mission for revenge. A large horde of robots, ranging from miniature models such as the one A2 just defeated, to large lumbering Goliaths that shook the ground with every step taken, rushed towards the female android in a crazed frenzy.

With a defeated sigh, A2 met the wave of machines with a blinding flurry of slashes, hacking away methodically at the worn exteriors of her enemies while weaving through their ferocious attacks with almost graceful ease. Yet again, she lamented the loss of her pod. Without its numerous programs at her disposal, she was forced the deal with every enemy on her own. While these fights were not necessarily dangerous, it certainly made her life a whole lot more difficult.

" _Revenge for our King!"_ yelled a small bot as it brandished an axe at A2, only for her to duck beneath the blow and end its life with an upwards swing.

" _We did not want to fight! Why?"_

" _Die! Androids must die!"_

Explosions and the metallic voices of the furious machines were the only sounds heard on the battlefield as A2 wordlessly cut down robot after robot, showering the forest with a rain of debris.

" _Why...Do you...Fight? It hurts...Pain...Pain...PainPainPainPainPain!"_ Whirling its two bulky arms in a windmill fashion, the sole survivor of the mechanic army, a towering gray Goliath, lunged itself at A2 in an act of desperation as sparks spewed out of the numerous gashes in its battered shell.

"Revenge, I guess. I suppose that makes us somewhat similar." A2, who was silent up until this point, spoke monotonously, watching motionlessly as the spinning arms of the Goliath drew closer with every passing second.

 _Clank._ With a deafening screech, A2 dragged her blade across the left leg of the Goliath, who still didn't register the fact that somehow, its target escaped and appeared right beneath its clunky body. The android released an inaudible _humph_ and drove her blade deeper into the Goliath's bulky appendage. Outdated though her model may be, she had not yet met an entity, machine or android alike, who could rival her in the art of combat. Evasive maneuvers such as the one she implemented were, to quote an old human saying, a piece of cake.

A blazing trail of sparks followed the weapon, illuminating its trajectory with a glowing orange line as the piece of metal sliced through the armor and wire, severing the leg completely.

" _Paaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiii—_ "

The Goliath's screech was halted when A2 sprinted up its body in a burst of speed and viciously jammed her blade into the scarlet blinking eyes of the machine. The circuits fizzled momentarily with electricity, and finally, the robot crashed to the forest floor in a lifeless heap of metal.

"How disgusting." A2 muttered under her breath. The thought that she and these useless scraps of junk were similar in even the slightest manner was, in all honesty, beyond unpleasant.

Wiping droplets of putrid grease away from her face, A2 leapt off the body of the Goliath and made her way towards the bridge. Yet, as she approached the stone structure, a waterfall to the side caught her attention. At first glance, it was just a splashing curtain of water flowing down the jagged face of a tall cliff. However near the end of the drop, the dimmest hint of red shone through the rushing torrent of water, indicating that hiding behind the water was a machine. To A2, machines were nothing but mindless robots programmed for the lone purpose of murder, and that stands true regardless of what vocabulary they may have picked up while rummaging through the old human archives.

She approached the waterfall, gripping the sword in her hands tightly as she prepared to put an end to the robot's cursed existence. Yet, much to A2's surprise, when she stepped closer to the fall, the pair of red eyes retreated deeper into what she assumed to be a cavern, as if attempting to remain hidden. Perhaps it was planning an ambush, or perhaps some logical virus inside its circuit made it develop a pseudo sense of 'fear', prompting it to shy away from battle. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that this particular machine behaved much differently from all the screaming, shooting, self-destructing models she encountered so far.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, her curiosity gained an upper hand and she returned her sword to its hovering position at her back. The situation was akin to seeing a bothersome insect buzzing around, but stopping to examine its abnormally large wings for a few seconds before swatting it out of the air.

She passed through the curtain of water, gently shaking the droplets out of her face before turning to face whatever lies behind the fall. Again, she found herself surprised. The machine she detected earlier turned out to yet another one of those round miniature robots, which was really nothing new. What did make her eyebrows raise was the fact that it cowered at the very end of the cavern, pincer-like hands tightly held over its head.

" _Kill..."_ it spoke in a small voice, causing A2 to sigh in disappointment. It was just another hostile machine, albeit one with malfunctioning motor systems.

" _...me...please.._ "

" _Don't...kill...me...please..."_

A2 frowned. Before, when she was first deployed to earth as a YoRHa member, machine lifeforms were only capable of meaningless beeps and noise. As the years passed, entities capable of simple speech were sighted near areas that used to house dense human populations. The city ruins she was once assigned to, for instance, was one of the first regions to report these so called 'speaking machines'. She never questioned nor paid attention to the contents of the sentences uttered by machines, either dismissing them as random or assuming them to be copied off of some old world literature.

However, in recent months, they were beginning to display an uncanny knack for coherent speech, so much so that it almost appeared as if they were trying to _communicate_ with each other through spoken language.

And here, right in front of her eyes was something undoubtedly machine, kneeling and begging for its life. Even someone like A2 could not help but wonder, could this be something other than a coincidence?

Still, it was but a fleeting thought that passed through A2's mind. There was nothing left to see in this cavern save for this trembling, pleading robot, and it was time that the silver-haired android left the Forest Kingdom, lest she be surrounded by yet another horde of angry machines screaming murder.

Sparing the cowering robot a final glance, she simply raised her combat boots and slammed it into the outer metal shell of the machine, creating a large cavity where the boot struck. Electricity crackled and the robot's limbs convulsed in an erratic manner as the damaged circuits began to overheat, inevitable leading to a fiery doom for the hapless machine.

" _NO!...Please...Save...me...Secret...tell...secret...please...don't...want...die.."_ The robot's desperate pleas, now reduced to stutters as its vocal functions gradually faltered, reached A2's ears.

Confusion, accompanied with irritation at her own inability to tune out these sentences, flew through A2's processing center. There was no doubt it was a desperate attempt to garner A2's attention, but the android could not be certain whether the 'secret' it spoke of was real or not.

Now thorough displeased, A2 stomped backed to end of the cave and stood before the twitching body of the machine. Glaring at the offensive piece of metal, she picked it up with her left hand, fingers puncturing the thin layer of metal covering its skull, and gripped the sword with her right. With a deft swing, she decapitated the machine and kicked the flaming remains of the limbs and the torso out of the cave, leaving only the charred, yet functioning head still hanging from her fingers.

The metallic sphere sizzled and emitted two plumes of smoke from either side of its head, where one would normally expect ears.

"Speak" A2 ordered. If the machine dared play dead, or deviate from her command in any way, she would not hesitate to reward it with another piece of steel in its body.

" _Thank...you..._ " said the head, eyes turning from red to green.

"Don't give me that crap. You said something about a secret. Now I've spared your life, tell me. You have three seconds."

" _A door...at the end of the cave...push rock...open..."_

A2 removed her fingers from the robot head and tossed it to the ground unceremoniously, then proceeded to examine what appeared to be a naked rock wall. It was covered in parts by slimy patches of moss due to the moist environment, with small critters such as ants and beetles crawling through the crevices sprinkled across the face of the wall. After running her hands over as much surface of the grimy rocks as she could, taking nearly ten minutes to do so, A2 felt her patience nearing its end.

"You're shitting me, aren't you?" she growled, picking up the blinking head and shaking it vehemently.

" _No...the king...does not lie...there is...a door."_

"How about I send you on your way and let you have a nice long chat with your king"

" _The king...is dead...slain by androids..."_

"Now I think of it, that king of yours seemed like a runt to me. Doesn't look like it can talk either" A2 commented as she raised her blade, aiming for the spot right between its eyes. Since it can feel fear, she might as well let it experience it to the fullest.

" _The one who told me...of the door...was the previous king...the one you have slain...was entrusted to us...by the previous king..."_

So that tiny robot A2 killed wasn't the first monarch of the kingdom, meaning that the machines not only knew the concept of central government, but also the means by which a kingdom's rule is sustained. It was all quite interesting, assuming that A2 cared in the slightest how these machine-based gatherings work. Of course, that was not the case.

"It's nice talking to you."

As A2 was about to jab the blade into the robot's mechanical head, she detected a sharp spike of energy level behind her. Acting purely on battle-honed instincts, she twirled around and swung her blade through the air, releasing a shock wave that collided violently with the beam blasted towards her, and halted it for just a fraction of a second. It was all the time she needed to engage evasive maneuvers. Once again flashing to safety as the beam tore through the afterimage she left behind, A2 turned her head and snarled at the head she still held in her hands.

"You deceiving little piece of—"

" _Look...door..."_ the metal ball said.

A2 turned to look at the wall she was inspecting moments ago and discovered that much of its slimy surface was destroyed by the beam, exposing what appeared to be a flat metal surface.

" _Revenge for the King!"_

A shower of magenta-colored orbs poured into cave, making A2 scowl in annoyance.

"Give me five minutes. I'll deal with you after I trash your little friends outside" said the android coldly, sprinting outwards with her sword in hand.

* * *

Mere seconds later, explosions and the anguished cries of the robot's mechanical kin echoed through the cave. There was no begging or pleading, only repetitive declarations for revenge or murder. It was the ultimate display of loyalty as depicted in the old human records, to stand firm in the face of even the most crippling odds. It was brave. It was valiant. It was so disgustingly foolish.

Once, they were but cogs of a giant machine, tiny terminals in a network spanning across the entire planet. They were made to fight for the cause of their otherworldly creators who they have not seen in centuries. It didn't bother them, for they had no concept of pain, suffering, or life. It wasn't until that day, when one of their brethren slayed their creators in the lair hidden deep beneath the surface, did the first machine begin to develop conscious.

Now, hundreds of years after the aliens' demise, the number of disconnected machines has grown large enough to form several separate pockets across the globe. For once, they are given the chance to forge their own path in this unforgiving world.

However...

Despite being given this chance...

These foolish beings still insisted on mimicking the humans...

Loyalty. Betrayal. Love. Hatred. Courage. Cowardice. Good. Evil.

These were nothing but arbitrary values set by humans to suit their own needs. Why...?

Why did they insist on conforming to these meaningless standards?

Why could they not see...

...he, the wisest among them all...

...was fit to rule after his Majesty's untimely demise?

Just because of the words of a rusty machine...

...they readily abandoned their most intelligent entity...

...for a short-circuited runt capable of nothing but waving its short stubby arms.

They should just curl up and die already.

* * *

"HEY! What the fuck are you doing!" A2 brutally slammed the robot against the stone walls of the cave, emitting a shrill screech as the jagged rock cut against the head's metal exterior.

" _Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Stop! Pain!"_

"Finally. I thought you fried your circuits or something. You just stopped responding."

" _I was...reminiscing."_

"It doesn't matter. I've cleared up the rest of the rocks. How do I get in?" asked A2, crossing her arms.

" _I don't know"_

"Excuse me?!"

" _We have not yet managed to breach the inside of this facility. We deduced that it is a human-made structure with the purpose of long-term storage and perseveration. We also observed that the facility remains active, drawing energy from sunlight and underground thermal heat to power its internal functions"_

"You've gotten quite talkative all of a sudden. What happened to the stuttering?"

" _There is currently no immediate threat to my continued existence, my programs, including speech capabilities, have returned to full capacity"_

"I don't know where you got that idea, but if I can't get inside, I might as well get rid of you right now." A2 said, placing the flat side of the blade against the robot's head.

" _This machine is equipped with an internal scanner capable of detecting nearby machine lifeforms. Also, it contains data concerning the distribution and recent activities of local machine lifeforms. Proposal : I will provide support in exchange for my continued existence"_

A2 raised an eyebrow, as if not believing that a machine, of all things, proposed a trade with her.

"What makes you think I need your help? I'm doing fine all by myself. You stupid machines don't stand a chance." She scoffed, pointing smugly at the burning debris just beyond the waterfall.

" _Observation : YoRHa unit model A2 is highly specialized for combat. However, it lacks fundamental stealth and tracking abilities, making it vulnerable to ambush and high altitude aerial attacks. This model was later modified—_ "

"Alright, I get it. I suck at hiding and finding things. But how do I know you won't just backstab me the next time a machine comes strolling around"

" _I...am an outcast of the Forest Kingdom. I disagreed with some of their choices, and later decided to hide in this location. After disconnecting from the network, those still under its influence will recognize me as a hostile entity. Conclusion: I am without incentive to help any other machine lifeforms"_

A2 stared silently at the blank face of the robot, pondering whether or not she should accept the offer. Being unable to scan her surroundings has proven to be quite the difficulty for A2 over the years, and with the robot being relatively harmless, it was beginning to sound like a good deal.

"Fine."

" _Understood. Basic Infantry Model No.328 is now assigned to YoRHa unit model A2 until further notice from said unit."_

"Give me access to your core programs."

" _Understood. Transferring core program access authority to YoRHa unit model A2"_

While incapable of forcefully hacking into system programs like Scanner models, which were among some of the most troublesome enemies she encountered, A2 is able to access unprotected data such like public servers and archives.

The woman placed her hand on the robot's head, and plunged headfirst into the pure white realm of cyberspace.

Feeling oddly disconnected, A2 drifted around, stopping momentarily at the memory department before heading straight towards the floating black ball representing the codes that make up the very essence of the machine's existence.

Two minutes later, A2 pulled herself out.

"I'm done." She said succinctly, removing her hand from the robot.

" _I detect no change in internal program"_

"Would you feel better if I said that I altered your memories files so you don't remember?"

" _Sarcasm detected in YoRHa unit model—"_

 _"_ Just call me A2" the android interrupted, "And no, I did not change any of your files. I just needed them so I can do..."

She snapped her fingers.

"...this." A bright orange halo appeared around the robot's spherical head and a second later, it joined A2's sword, Virtuous Treaty as it hovered a few inches away from the woman's slender body.

"I've connect you to my NFCS. That way I don't need to carry you around wherever I go"

" _Understood."_

"Oh, and if things get pretty rough, I might use you as a one-time shield or something like that"

" _Such inappropriate usage may result in irreversible data loss and hardware damage, thus, it is highly—"_

"You need to learn when to shut up, Pod"

" _Correction: I am not a YoRHa combat support unit. I am Basic Infantry Model No. 328, manufactured at year 11—"_

"Pod." A2 said. "Shut up."

" _Understood. Code name: Pod, successfully registered_ "

"Now let's see if we can hack this door open, humans were never good at building good security... "

One kilometer beneath surface:

It was silent.

It was dark.

Here, encased in the confines of a cryogenic pod, lies a man whose very existence is an anachronism in and of itself. He and his kin once walked the earth as the dominant species, changing the landscape to suit their own desires. Even today, after they have long disappeared from the face of the planet, their footprints still stand tall and proud amidst the vast stretches of plant life.

Sensing its upcoming doom, the species tried time after time to prevent the inevitable, only for its hopes to be shattered each and every time.

This desolated laboratory once housed the species greatest hope for survival, with the bodies of thousands of healthy entities being preserved. They could last for centuries, perhaps a millennia or two, but not even the most extensive preparations could have woken them up after an eight-thousand year slumber.

Among the thousands that started out, only one remain, with the others floating peacefully in their own watery coffin.

Here sleeps the last of mankind, a young male whose heartbeat grew fainter with each passing year.

Here lie the last glowing embers of the Homo sapiens, a race whose demise was just as sudden and abrupt as its uprising.

Here, in this room devoid of any light and sounds, the relic of humanity slumbers, ready to join his kin in the land after death.

That is until a certain silver-haired android decided to cut her way through the one meter thick walls of the laboratory out of sheer spite and stubbornness.

* * *

Author Note:

I originally planned on actually giving the male lead some lines and letting the two of them meet, but it's really late right now in my country and I want to upload it before going to sleep. So...next chapter, I swear.

As for my update schedule, I don't know when the next chapter is coming out. I finished this entire chapter in a single day after completing ending E of the game, which means I've exhausted all my ideas and my productivity will most likely see a nosedive in regards of the following chapter. However, I will do everything in my capabilities to make sure that you guys see the next chapter within a week.

Wish me luck, and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I KNOW I SAY THIS EVERY TIME BUT REVIEWS ARE LIFE!


	2. Chapter 2

Relics of Humanity, Chapter 2

Author's Note: Okay, because I decided to be a douche and have our male lead and A2 speak two different languages, I'll be clarifying some of the fonts that'll be appearing in this chapter.

"Hey guys." This is the language (Japanese?) spoken by 2B and 9S and everyone not machine in the post-apocalyptic world.

" _Hey guys._ " This indicates speech by machines. Why I did this I have no idea. Maybe their voices just sounded so weird I decided to give them their own font.

" **Hey guys"** This is English. I won't be adding any other languages so this is probably it.

Now, the problem here is what happens when Pod acts as translator between A2 and our male lead? Do I make it both bold and italic? Well, I thought about it and decided that I'll let it stay italic to make things consistent.

One more thing. I haven't played nor read any background material about the original Nier and Drakengard series. I know about Emil and the Gestalt Project from 9S's and A2's playthrough, but nothing further than that. Maybe I'll take a look sometime in the future if I plan to write another story but just bear with me this time. Enjoy the story.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is a day that shall remain forever in the history of mankind."

"In the last hundreds of years, we have progressed and evolved unlike any other species. We have conquered the highest mountains, explored the darkest oceans, and ventured beyond the lands of our home planet as we reached for the great unknown. Yet we as a species is now faced with an epidemic, a planet-wide catastrophe to which we currently have no solution."

"We once believed that we had the technology and intelligence to shatter each barrier we encountered, as we had done countless times before in our history. However, as much as we are unwilling to admit it, there are walls too thick to breach, cliffs too high to climb, and odds too steep to overcome."

"In this room, we have among us mankind's brightest minds, fittest bodies, and the best of each field. We represent humanity's pinnacle of individual greatness, possessing the characteristics we wish most to be passed on to the future generations."

"In the event the remainder of humanity is unable to overcome this disease, we will embrace death in peace, knowing that mankind lives on."

"Tonight, we commence Project Dormancy. Perhaps you will wake up mere months from now, with humanity celebrating its victory over yet another fallen foe. Perhaps you will wake up only to discover that a millennium has passed and that you are the last vestiges of mankind remaining. We know not what the future has in store for us, but we will do everything within our capabilities to prepare for it."

"Now, please return to your quarters. We will soon begin de-animation procedures..."

* * *

How long has it been since that day? He has no clue.

Being suspended in preservation fluids was, for a lack of better words, quite similar to sleeping. It wasn't just an endless stretch of darkness, though. There were instances within his slumber where his conscious peaked through the chemicals, and he could vaguely feel the slimy texture of the liquid surrounding him. During these rare 'awake' occasions, he often wondered how much time has passed since he was put to sleep. How much longer until he could see the world once again? Perhaps the next time he woke up, he would be greeted by the warms smiles of his brethren, welcoming him to a new era where humanity thrives.

Yet, he slept on. Intervals between his waking moments became few and far between, and each time, he could feel the end drawing closer. Dying like this was not unpleasant by any means. It was perhaps the most peaceful way one could pass away, devoid of pain, sorrow, and grief. It also implied that humankind had failed to cure the disease, and the infected cells within his body still remained alive, despite all their efforts.

He felt his conscious stir. It may very well be the last time he woke up, given how frail his body felt last time. He could no longer sense the sticky flow of the fluids. It was replaced by a stabbing sensation of coldness permeating through his entire body as if he was walking in a torrent of freezing air.

At that moment, he realized that it was the end of the line.

How unfortunate it was for him to witness his own final moments.

A pinprick of light pierced through the comforting darkness, growing larger and more luminous by the second.

Is there life after death? Would he get to see his family and friends once again, whose remains have surely decomposed back to soil? No, that wouldn't be good, for his relationship with them have grown rather strained in the years leading up to the Project. Now that he thought of it, he didn't quite know what he wanted if there indeed existed an afterlife.

The light grew brighter, spreading to all directions until his entire field of vision was engulfed by it. The scalding cold had weakened, gradually transitioning to a mildly warm temperature that caressed his skin the way a gentle summer breeze would.

Maybe there were angels, messengers of God that inform him whether he deserved a place in heaven, or a pit in hell. If he had the chance, he would like to talk to them and asked them how close humanity was to discovering the truth of the disease. Surely these supposedly transcendental being could provide answers to his question. In their perspective, it was probably the dinosaurs all over again, having to explain to them how a massive hunk of space rock collided with earth and brought about the demise of their reign.

"...ucki...sgusting...How is he so..."

He heard a voice, female if he had to guess, coming from directly in front of him. Who was it? What did it say? It sounded nothing like English, perhaps Japanese or Chinese, he couldn't tell.

A looming sense of dread bubbled within him. If going to heaven meant he had to take another language course, maybe he preferred the fiery depths of hell after all.

He could feel his limbs again. They felt weak and delicate, at the same time heavy and cumbersome. Attempting to move arms, he discovered that they draped across something in front of him, and firmly held in place.

" _...servation fluids...old world technol...require food..."_

This time a different voice, one that was almost comically robotic, came from the upper right corner. His mouth, moist and filled with a repulsive bitter taste, was the next one of his organs to return. The white light that previously filled his vision had dimmed, reverting back to its original state of darkness, albeit not as stifling and pure, with the occasional colored shades popping up here and there.

Phosphenes. A phenomenon characterized by the experience of seeing light without light actually entering the eye. It means what he was seeing right now actually came from the biophotons emitted within by cells within his eyeballs.

He felt his body bobbing up and down steadily, almost as if he was drifting on a particularly peaceful region of the ocean, with warm rays of sunlight showering down upon him. A faint, yet slightly pungent scent wafted into his nostrils, further stimulating his senses.

"When will he...up...supposed to be extinct?" the female voice spoke again. She sounded close, probably only a few inches in front of his face. If only he could open his eyelids, he would be able to see her.

His eyelids, they felt like sheets of heavy steel, refusing to budge regardless how hard he commanded his muscles to pull them. His throat, previously filled with preservation fluid, now felt painfully dry and parched.

" _Observ...survivor...Project Dormanc...over eight thousand years..."_

Mustering what sliver of strength he had in his body he cracked open his eyes by a fraction of an inch, letting light flood into his irises.

Silvery white strands of hair, swaying with the soft breeze in a carefree manner, filled his sight. Reflecting sunlight, it gave off an almost ethereal glow, prompting him to utter the first word that came to mind with his chapped lips.

" **Angel...** " he croaked, feeling his lower lip split.

The bobbing stopped. She turned her head, allowing him to finally see the features of the being that will soon declare his fate.

His gaze instinctively drifted to the eyes, which were a piercing color of blue, like that cloudless patch of sky on a sweltering summer afternoon. Her pale lips were pressed tightly together, granting her features a stern, even icy vibe. Long locks of hair were left hanging down in an untrimmed fashion, obscuring nearly half of her face from his sight.

"Pod, he's awake." the woman said, gazing at him with a reproachful stare, obviously unhappy at the sticky liquid she was receiving from him as she carried him on her back.

A drop of sweat trickled down from the side of her jaw down her neck, glistening like a translucent pearl in the light.

" **Water**..." he mumbled, hoping that the woman would understand.

" _Affirmative. The subject speaks a language called 'English', which was among the most widespread tongues of the old world. It also appears that the subject is in need of hydration._ "

"Good, you can understand what he's saying. Tell him that I want to get out of here before the sun sets. I'll get him whatever he needs after that."

" _Understood."_ The source of the robotic voice, which he realized was a spherical metal object floating in midair, turned to face him.

" _Greetings, sir. I am Basic Infantry Model No.328, currently assigned to YoRHa unit A2. I will be acting as an interpreter until basic communications are established between you and said unit._ _ **"**_

" **I need...water** " he croaked out, erupting in an episode of coughs as the sandy air irritated his already dry throat.

" _We are currently under pursuit by numerous hostile targets. Unit A2 has decided to avoid direct contact, and that leaving enemy territory takes priority."_

The sheen of sweat coating the nape of A2's neck began to emit a luscious gleam as rays of light reflected off its glossy surface, looking more and more tantalizing with each passing second.

Surely she wouldn't mind. After all, angels were supposed to be the embodiment of everything good and kind. He wasn't sure if he could stand another minute without receiving some sort of hydration.

Yes, it was all going to be fine.

"What did he say, Pod?" A2 inquired, picking up speed as she approached the commercial facility marking the entrance to the Forest Kingdom.

" _The subject repeated his request for water._ "

A2 scowled. "Tell him that we'll be out of here soon enough. There's a creek not far up ahead."

" _Understood."_

Not understanding a word of what the pair in front of him was saying, the man simply rested his head on the shoulders of the mysterious female carrying him. Casting a slightly irritated glance at the weak human, A2 let out a small _humph_ and maintained her pace.

" _We will soon reach relatively safe grounds, where we can procure water and other resources. After consulting data found from old human records, your body displays symptoms of light dehydration, muscle atrophy, and malnutrition, none of which poses a direct or immediate danger to your life. Please refrain from further repeating your request. Warning, unit A2 has a rather short and aggressive temper, and it is ill-advised to aggravate her in any manner."_

With his mind still as sluggish as a blob of slime, the man didn't register the words of the strange floating metal ball. Instead, the entirety of his thoughts was occupied by the flawless porcelain skin of A2's slender neck presented before his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his face against the tender surface, allowing himself to be buried by a flow of silky hair.

A2 skidded to a halt, almost launching him off her back as a result of the sudden change in speed.

"Pod. What. Is. He. Doing?" The android in question stiffened at the unexpected contact, eyes narrowing as she turned to her newly acquired companion for answers. In the meantime, the man released a satisfied moan that tunneled deep into A2's ears, making goosebumps rise on her normally smooth skin.

 _"_ _..."_ For the first time, Basic Infantry Model No.328, with its entire storage filled to the last byte with knowledge, seemed as clueless as the impatient android standing beside it.

"Well?" A2 demanded, fidgeting in apparent discomfort as the human persevered in its queer actions. This time, he rubbed his cheeks against the skin of A2's nape, obviously enjoying the contact.

" _Hypothesis 1: He is attempting to express his displeasure at your decision to temporary neglect his requirements for nourishment."_

"Tell him we're almost there!" A2 shouted out in a voice laced with fury and a tiny hint of desperation.

 _Hypothesis 2: Side effects from being placed in the cryogenic pod for an extended period of time as caused his behavior to deviate from that of normal humans."_

"Great! The only human left is a moron. Just my luck."

 _"_ _Hypothesis 3: Due to your appearance as a human female, he is currently attempting to court you by performing mating rituals—"_

"MATING RITUALS?!"

" _—_ _usually leading to sexual intercourse._ "

"Fuck. That's it. I'm throwing this thing down the cliff. He can break his bones into a million pieces for all I'm concerned. There's no way I'm going to be some tool he uses to relieve his 8000-year-old—DID HE JUST **LICK** ME?!"

In a split second, the dazed human found himself lying flat on his back with pain exploding all over his body and stars dancing in his eyes.

" **Worth it..."** He mumbled, with the taste of A2's perspiration, salty and strangely metallic, still strong on his tongue.

" _Observation: We have yet to fully retreat from hostile territory. It is unadvised to perform any...reckless actions before reaching a safe location._ " Pod said, wisely choosing not to translate the human's words.

"There's nothing reckless about this. I'm going to disembowel him and feed his mutilated body to the boars after bashing his useless brain into jelly." The silver-haired android seized a fistful of the human's brown hair and lifted him up, nose wrinkling in disgust as the vestiges of the preservation fluid came into contact with her synthetic skin.

" _Observation: We have yet to extract any useful data from the subject. It will be unwise and irrational to dispose of valuable information just because a small amount of liquid made to simulate human perspiration is taken from A2's skin."_ Pod commented calmly, making said android's face contort in a rage, with faint tinges of pink adorning her cheeks.

"But...but..." sputtered A2 angrily, at a loss of words regarding Pod's objective, yet somehow offending remark.

"...he violated me!" She finally squeezed out indignantly.

" _He licked you. Even by human standards, that is hardly considered anything more than mildly unnerving, not to mention unit A2 is merely an android made in the image of humans."_

"So you're saying that I let him get away with it just like that?"

" _Perhaps you should request compensation or service in return afterward. Time runs short, please release the subject and resume traveling back to the city ruins."_

"You're getting awfully pushy for a pod I can crush with a single thought," A2 replied, grudgingly releasing her grip on the human's hair.

" _I only do so because unit A2 is acting unbefitting of her status as the supposed 'technologically superior being' in the current situation."_

"Was that sarcasm I hear?"

" _It is most definitely your imagination."_

Reluctantly, A2 holstered the man onto her back and headed back to the gray jungle of concrete in which her base is located.

As she crossed the dangling wooden bridge spanning across the valley that marked the boundary of the Forest Kingdom, she turned her head and looked at human clinging onto her back. His hair was a light of shade, and his skin, pale with an unhealthy tinge of yellow only served to further accentuate the dark rings around his sunken hazel eyes. Sensing her gaze, he lifted his head, revealing a round, stubby jawline, and gave her a weak smile before looking away in an abashed manner, as if embarrassed by his previous actions.

"Pod, ask him what his name is."

" _Understood"_ Pod drifted to the human's side. Before it could repeat the question, however, the man spoke.

" **Is this when I'm supposed to state my last words before she throws me into the valley?"** The man said with a dry chuckle, more or less sober after the excruciating session of pain he just experienced. **"I've always thought that I'd die in that slimy pod, but being executed for sexual harassment really has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"**

" _Unit A2 wishes to know your name. Please rest assured that your life is in no immediate danger. However, please use this time to think of a way to atone for your degenerate behavior. If not, you may find yourself in perilous circumstances afterward. Furthermore, please refrain from speaking so much so as to prevent irritation of your oral regions."_

" **Atone for my degenerate behavior? How am I supposed to do that? Buy her a cupcake?"**

 _"_ _According to data within files, cupcakes are a type of sweet dessert made mostly from eggs, flour, sugar, and butter. Unit A2 has shown no interest in sweets or pastry. The likelihood that providing her with such an unnecessary object will gain you her approval is exceptionally low."_

" **You're no fun at all."** The human grumbled. **"By the way, why are you doing all the talking? Is she too shy to ask me in person?"**

" _As I have previously stated, unit A2 is not programmed with knowledge of old world languages. Thus, she is unable to engage in verbal communication with the subject until her files are updated._ "

" **You keep saying these weird words like 'programmed' and 'updated'. Have humans been using smartphones so much they can't even speak properly?"** The man said, figuring out by now that it wasn't heaven that he woke up to, but a version of Earth far different from the one he knew. Seeing the woman in front of him made him sigh in silent relief. Humanity made it through after all. Maybe all the other subjects of Project Dormancy were already awake, and he was the last one to be brought out. Maybe there was an organization that didn't want these living fossils to be woken up and tried to sabotage the project, which explains the 'hostile targets' Pod previously mentioned.

One way or another, he had served his purpose as a fail-safe for mankind, and now he will witness with his own eyes a brand new world.

"... _Report: This is the year –"_

"What the HELL is taking you so long, Pod?" A2, being forced to listen to the two of them converse in what is literally gibberish to her ears, has depleted what little patience she had left for the human.

Sensing the grip around his arms tighten into a vice-like hold, the man knew he had a few seconds before the joke he made earlier became reality.

" **After so much time has passed, whether I use my original name or not doesn't really matter, does it? Ah, I know. Her name is A2 right?"** the man asked.

" _Affirmative."_

" **Then I'll be H1. Since I'm probably one of the oldest humans alive, not to mention one of the smartest, it should only be right for me to take the name of Human No.1, don't you think?"**

Pod gazed at the human, H1 as he called himself, and wondered to itself whether H1 was truly ignorant of the fact that he was the last of his kind alive. Among the human records it found, there were medical cases that involved the patient being unable to cope with a particularly traumatic experience, and proceeded to alter or erase the memory in order to alleviate stress upon their mentality.

Upon discovering the suspended human in the lab, A2's initial response was to put a sword through his guts. Much of her past still remained unclear to Pod, but the snippets of information he gained from making contact with other YoRHa units gave him some insight into A2's circumstances. The ultimate mission of the YoRHa troops was to retake earth from the aliens and machine lifeforms and allow their human creators to return to their homeland. However, when the aliens arrived, what they saw were not humans, but androids and millions of copies of a certain entity identified as 'Emil'.

In other words, long before the Council of Humanity was founded, humanity itself had already been driven to extinction, leaving only their creations roaming the earth. The revelation of this fact was probably what prompted A2 to abandon the YoRHa troops, refusing to devote her life to a species long gone.

Yet, even after defecting from the Bunker, the fact remains that she was programmed to defend humanity to her last breath, and actively defying that order had resulted in logical errors that prevented her from sinking Virtuous Treaty into the unconscious human's body.

She attempted to test the limits of what she could do to the human without severely damaging herself, but H1's body was so weak that even the slightest bit of harm could result in irreversible consequences. Later, when she successfully judo-threw H1 onto the ground out of pure instinct, it implied that only deliberate actions would trigger the code.

" _Report: The human identified himself as H1."_

"I thought humans had...different names. And I've never heard of a model H android either." A2 commented with a mildly puzzled expression.

 _"_ _According to unit H1, the H stands for human_."

"I see," A2 replied. "That certainly makes things easier for me. How long will it take to copy the language files to my storage?"

" _It will take an estimated 2 hours and 27 minutes."_

"Start transferring."

At last, the trio reached the end of the wooden bridge, and H1 visibly relaxed as A2's feet once again found solid ground.

" _Warning: Sensory functions will be shut down during the duration of the procedure. I recommend that unit A2 wait—"_

"I've survived this far on my own, Pod. Just do your job and keep your mouth shut unless I say otherwise." A2 interrupted, yet again picking up speed as she reached the familiar region of the city ruins.

" _Understood, initiating data transfer."_

The android sprinted through the desolated city, bypassing several machines that seemed to be wandering mindlessly without purpose. H1's eyes grew wide with surprise at the sight of the crumbling buildings and the thriving wildlife that took over the human metropolis. Packs of moose leisurely feasted on the overgrown grass, only moving aside when they heard A2's approaching footsteps. H1 jolted with shock as a boar, covered in fur and brandishing its two long tusks, trotted out of the shadows of a narrow alley.

Not another human was in sight. Rust-covered cars were strewn across the city, evidently abandoned by their owners sometime in the far past. All that remained of the once prosperous city were the dull skeletons of concrete, stubborn standing in the face of nature as if reminding it of humanity's dominance.

" **Where...did all the people go?** " H1 muttered to himself, still struggling to process the scene laid before his eyes.

However, it wasn't Pod who answered his question.

" **Humans, gone,"** A2 replied, not taking her eyes off the road in front of her. The creek was just ahead. Then she can finally stop the human's persistent whining.

" **What? I thought that..."** H1 raised his head in astonishment.

" **English. Speak. A bit. Get good later."** A2 responded. Her sentences were broken and strange, but sufficient to convey the message.

" **What happened to the people here? Where are we? How long have I been sleeping? Where are the other participants of the Proj—"**

Before he could finish his rapid string of questions, H1 found him choking and drenched in a bubbling stream of water, with fish seen scattering from his naked and filthy body.

"Damn he's noisy," A2 grumbled under her breath, rubbing her temples as data flowed into her storage chip.

" **Wash. Drink"** she commanded. H1, still sitting motionless in the creek, looked up at her helplessly and feebly flapped his arms in the water.

" **A little bit of help, please?"**

A2 groaned. Of course, his weak human muscles would deteriorate after such a long time without being used. It would take several weeks for him to walk again, and months or even years before he regained his previous physique.

Staring at H1, who gazed back at her with hopeful eyes, she steeled herself and grudgingly approached the unclothed man.

His eyes shone with blatant anticipation as he already began to picture A2's slim hands running all over his body, cleansing it of all the filth and sand it picked from being thrown to the ground. She would carefully wash every nook and cranny of his frail body, making sure that every part of the skin is clean and free of grime. In order to gain access to certain regions, her hands, trembling with reluctance, would gently part his thin—

" **No."**

With an expression of undiluted disgust prominent on her features, A2 gave the human a heavy kick and threw him flat on his back into the creek.

"You stay there and see if the fish likes eating human meat. In the meantime, I'll find a rope so Pod can drag your sorry ass back to the base."

* * *

Well, this is it for the second chapter. I originally planned on having more stuff done, but this is what I ended up writing. Remember to share your opinions and offer me some advice by reviewing. Chapter 3 should be out in about a week, so stay tuned for that.


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